Donovan McNabb's Philadelphia Return: Fans Should Cheer Him

As much as I’ve enjoyed seeing Michael Vick’s electric talents blossom in Philadelphia and seeing him reclaim the life he almost threw away, I can’t shake this awful sense of foreboding as Donovan McNabb prepares for his first trip to Philly as a Redskin.

In the 11 years McNabb was the franchise quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, many of the fans took every opportunity to dump on his accomplishments. Now it seems predestined that McNabb will be defeated by his former team on Sunday before many fans who never fully appreciated him anyway.

Fans booed him on draft day (imagine where the Eagles would be if Philly had drafted Ricky Williams as fans wanted), and his career as an Eagle was capped by the ultimate insult: The team traded him to a hated division rival. That sent a crisp message about the franchise’s sentiment. And considering that some meathead fans had the nerve to burn McNabb’s jersey when he was traded — as if he had asked to be dealt — why wouldn’t this same, often hateful fan base take one more chance to kick McNabb in the figurative shin?